As a loyal supporter of Big Blue Nation, it pains me to praise someone from the little brother school in Kentucky. Still, the Louisville Cardinal’s blistering 40-yard dash showed scouts, GMs, and potential 2024 fantasy dynasty rookie drafters alike that he should not have been an afterthought.
Fantasy savant Scott Barrett observed that, since 2000, Isaac Guerendo is the seventh-most athletic combine running back behind:
- Jonathan Stewart
- A.J. Dillon
- Derrick Henry
- Doug Martin
- Saquon Barkley
- LaDainian Tomlinson
Guerendo was a former track star in high school, earning state titles in the long jump, 100 meter, and 4×100 relay. In other words, he’s more than just a Kalen Ballage style athlete.
Despite not seeing much work in college, Guerendo scored 11 times and averaged 6.0 YPC+ the last two seasons. He offers a Travis Etienne style home run upside each time he touches the ball.
Now, we’re not saying that means he is a lock to be a fantasy stud by any means. But in the right scheme, Guerendo could have a clear path to fantasy relevance.
The San Francisco 49ers have, in fact, met with him.
Allow me to wind the clock backward to the misguided Trey Sermon hype after being picked in the third round. A slower, more contact-seeking running back like Sermon didn’t schematically make sense on paper as a fit for Shanahan’s golden zone-blocking scheme.
Elijah Mitchell, the sixth-round electrical back, was a perfect fit for what Shanahan likes out of his running backs. He was quick, shifty, and powerful enough to move the chains. Bringing the clocks back to the present, and Mitchell has spent as much time on the injury list as he has in pads. Christian McCaffrey isn’t getting any younger.
Given the size, speed, and athletic nature of Guerendo, he’s sure to attract suitors in the draft and has desirable traits teams would be willing to invest in. He’s safely one of the biggest risers post-combine.
Guerendo is up to RB15 on our 2024 Dynasty Rookie Rankings.
